New ITF inspectors

The International Transport Workers Federation continues to expand its network of ITF inspectors around the world. Currently seafarers can apply for assistance in the ports of Hamburg (Germany), Manila (Philippines) and Rijeka (Croatia). Markus Wichmann, Arvin Peralta and Luka Simic are appointed there, respectively.

All of them were previously connected with the sea in one way or another. Markus Wichmann worked for the Duckdalben Seamens ' Club and the Seafarers' Mission at cruise terminals. When he became an ITF inspector, he just changed his job, but not his vocation to assist the seafarers.

Arvin Peralta is a former seafarer, so he knows more about the difficulties of the profession than anyone else. He graduated from the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), which was founded by the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP). «I owe my achievements primarily to the union.  It was a sense of gratitude that prompted me to join the ITF. I have been privileged to help seafarers in the Philippines», - he says.

Croatian Inspector Luka Simic studied at the Faculty of Marine Studies at the University of Rijeka.

The work of the ITF plays an important role for seafarers. Inspectors visit the vessels, monitor the of collective agreements on boards, check working conditions and help defend violated rights, which most often affect the payment of wages and repatriation. They are also involved in the ITF campaigns assisting the unions to attract new members and help those who are already in their ranks. «Many seafarers working under a flag of convenience live in fear of shipowners and dare to seek help when working and living conditions become unbearable. And then the main thing is that they know who to turn to. The expansion of the staff of inspectors gives seafarers more opportunities to solve their problems», - the Russian Seafarers' Union notes.

Today, the ITF inspectorate has more than 150 contacts around the world.